43 residents named to 17 city boards; some oppose Hensley for OR Planning Commission

Oak Ridge City Council in a special meeting appointed 43 people to the 17 city boards and commissions.

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By Beverly Majors/Staff

Oakridger - Oak Ridge, TN

By Beverly Majors/Staff

Posted Dec. 26, 2012 at 6:06 PM

By Beverly Majors/Staff

Posted Dec. 26, 2012 at 6:06 PM

OAK RIDGE

Oak Ridge City Council in a special meeting appointed 43 people to the 17 city boards and commissions.

At the recent Council meeting, Council appointed many incumbents to various boards, but also appointed several new members. Council members discussed postponing at least two appointments, but the motion failed.

Council member Anne Garcia Garland asked Council to postpone the appointment to the Oak Ridge Housing Authority and the Elder Citizens Advisory Board. She said Council should talk to the Housing Authority about some concerns before making the appointment. She also said the Elder Citizens board is working on changes to its charter and that the Coalition of Oak Ridge Retired Employees (CORRE) no longer wants a representative on the Elder board.

City Manager Mark Watson said the Housing Authority is an independent operation from the city and the city has no authority except to make an appointment to the board.

“Once the appointment is made, we work with their executive director,” he said.

Council member Trina Baughn also questioned the city making an appointment to the Housing Authority's board if the city has no authority over the board. She also had questions about imminent domain and land bank issues.

Watson said the Housing Authority has “an enormous amount of power under federal and state law,” and has the ability to help the city with many issues. He said the board has many resources.

“Federal law requires the mayor, or City Council in our case, to make that appointment,” he said.

In another issue, Baughn questioned putting a Council member on the Oak Ridge Planning Commission, stating she believes it constitutes a conflict of interest.

Council Member Charlie Hensley has served on the Planning Commission for 14 years and was again appointed.

Baughn abstained when the appointment came up for a vote.

Resident Jack Mansfield also asked Council to not consider Hensley for reappointment, citing he and his wife’s issues with the city in connection with their Hendrix Creek neighborhood property.

City Council and the Planning Commission has either not recommended or has denied the construction of a home on the Mansfields’ lot at least twice in the past few years, and most recently decided to postpone a decision in order to get a legal opinion.

Mansfield said Hensley voted illegally on the issue earlier this year because he had not yet been sworn in as a Council member, and said Hensley “dominated the discussion” on the issue.

Hensley asked that he be reappointed and said his vote on the Mansfield property wouldn't have mattered anyway because the vote was 7-1 when it came up in November.